Electric clock.



- N0. 830,971. PATENTED SEPT-1], 1906.

U. L. COLLINS.

ELECTRIC CLOCK. 7 APPLICATION FILED SEPT 18 1905 lNVElNTOR. ULYSSES L .Gou ms.

ULYSSES L. COLLINS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURi.

ELECTRlC CLOCK:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

Application filed September 18,1905. Serial No. 278,867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ULYSSES L. CoLLiNs, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates generally to electric clocks, and more particularly to means whereby the propulsion-spring of a clock is intermittently wound through the action of electromagnets.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple winding mechanism com osed of a minimum number of parts, and W ich winding mechanism is arranged adjacent one of the side plates of a clock mechanism in order that the opposite side plate may be readily removed to clean or repair the clock mechanism .without disturbing the winding mechanism.

My invention consists of certain n vel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more clearly set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illusT trated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end view of the lower portion of a clock-frame equipped with my improved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view analogous to Fig. 2 and showing the armature pulled downwardly by the cores of the magnet-coils. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric connections of my improved device.

Referring by characters to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the base-plate, to which is secured the vertically-arranged side plates 2 and 3 of the clock-frame. Arranged in suitable bearings in the plates 2 and 3 is a transverse shaft 4, which is one of the shafts of the clock mechanism and on which is located a gear-wheel 5, that drives other gearing of the clock mechanism suitably arranged in the frame above the shaft 4. Located upon this shaft 4 is a ratchet-wheel 6, the teeth of which are so disposed as that they are engaged by a pawl, (hereinafter specified.) Said wheel and the shaft 4 will be driven in the direction indicated by the arrow A, Fig. 2. Arranged on the base 1 is a air of electromaguets 7, which are electrical y connccted, and an armature 8, in the form of a bar,

is arranged to operate above the cores of said coils, one end of which armature is fixed upon a shaft 9. The ends of this shaft are journaled in a bracket 10, that extends outwardly from the side plate 2, and in the u per end of a bracket 11, that extends upward y from the base 1, and wound upon this shaft 9 is a coilspring 12, one end of which extends forwa'rdly and is bent beneath the center of the armature 8. The opposite end of this coilspring is fixed in the bracket 11. The normal tendency of this spring is to draw the armature upwardly away from the cores of the magnets 7, and the upward movement of said armature is limited by a pin 13, projecting outwardly from the plate 2.

Pivotally mounted on the free end of the armature 8 is a vertically-arranged awl 15, the oint of which engages the teet 0f the rate let-wheel 6. Arranged on the back of this pawl 15 and insulated therefrom is a plate 16, and secured to the base of said pawl is one end of a bow-spring 17, the free end of which engages beneath a hook 18, carried by the armature 8, the normal tendency of the tension of which spring is to maintain the point of the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 6.

Pivotally mounted upon a pin 19, whicl projects laterally from the plate 2, is a lever 20, the upper end of which is provided with an integral contact-finger 21, that projects laterally and bears upon the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 6 just above the point of the pawl 15. tact-finger is a second laterally-projecting contact-finger 22, that is adaptedto contact with the u )per end of the plate 16. A spring 23 is fixed to the lower end of the lever 20 and extends downwardly thereform and bears upon a pin 24, carried by the plate 2,

which spring by this pressure maintains the contact finger 21 in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 6. The fingers 21 and 22 are so arranged as that when the u per finger 21 rides off the oint of one of t e teeth of the ratchet-whee 6 and 'drops into the doc est portion of the notches between the teeth the lower finger 22 will contact with the upper end of the plate 16, and when the pawl 15 is drawn downwardly by the action of the magnet the upper end of the plate 16 is drawn away from the contact-fin er 22, for the reason that the point of sai pawl engages the next adjacent teeth of the ratchetwheel 6, and said pawl 15 is drawn away from A suitable distance below this con- IIO frame. Just prior -to the stopping of the up ward movement of the armature 8 by the pin 1'3 the contact-finger 21 rides ofl from the oint of the tooth or". the ratchet-wheel 6 that is above the tooth that is en aged by the pawl 15, and when this actiontakcs place the contact-finger22 is thrown into contact with the plate 16. This completes an electrical circuit through a suitablejconductor B, that i leads from the lower end of the plate 16 to a from thence to theshaft 4 of the'ratchet and this Tr'novementdraws the pawl down-' suitable battery C or other source of electrical supply,and from thence to and through the coils 7 and from thence .bya suitabieconductor D to the frame of the clock and wheel 6and from thence to the lever 20, that carries-thecontact-finger 22. I This impulse instantly draws the armatureS downwardly into contact withythe-cores of'the magnets,

gwardly until its point engages'between the next adjacent lower tooth of the ratchet wheel 6. slmultaneous with this movement the ower of the bowspring' 1Z7, Qdraws the paw 15 a. slight distance laterally in rengag' breaking the electrical circuit.

ing with the teethof the ratchet-wheel, and this lateral movement withdraws the plate 16 from-engagement with the finger 22, thus This down-' ward movement of the armature 8 stores power in 'thecoil-"spring -12, which is now exerted to move the armature 8 and pawl 15 subscribing witnesses.

upwardly to rotate the ratchet-Wheel 6 and shaft 4.

course, very quicklyiand is repeated as often as the contact-finger- 21 rides ofi from the points of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 6.

' The operation just described takes placepf A device of my improved construction is simple, strong, and durable, is accurate and positlve 1n.;act1on,1-and the entire winding mechanismneed not bedisturbed in any way when cleaning or repairing the clock mechani I c1aim: p i 1. In. a device of the class described, a driven, shaft, a ratchet-whecl mounted therejon, an electromagnet, an armature therefor,

a spring in which pcwcr is store (I by the actuation. of thearmaturo, a pawl carried by the armature and engagingthe ratchet-wheel, a lever,-contact'-fingers carried thereby for engag ng the ratchet-wheel and the pawl, and

suitable electrical connections fromthe lever through the coils of the electromagnet and to the ratchet-wheel substantially ass'pecified.

, 2. In an electric clock, a winding mechanism, constructed with, a driven "shaft, a

ratchete'wheel thereon, an electromagnet, an

armature therefor, a spring in which power is storedjiby the actuationof. the armature, a pawl carried by the armature and engaging theteethQQf the ratchet-wheel, a pivoted lever, a ,finger carried thereby for engaging upontheratche t-wheel, a finger carried. by the lever for contacting with the pawl, and suitable electrical'iconnections from the pawl to and through the-coils of the electrom'agnet and to theratchet-wheel; substantially as specified.- v

In testimony: whereof I have signedmy name to-this specification in presence of two nL' ssEs L COLL-INS. Witnesses 1 M. I. SMITH,

JOHN C. HIeDoN. 

